Blair Douglas,

Italian Chapel Suite

own label

Inspired by the chapel created by Italian prisoners of war that has become Orkney’s most visited tourist attraction, this suite marks a departure in some senses for the Skye-based composer, accordionist, keyboards player, Blair Douglas.

Its form and instrumentation, featuring largely harp, violin, viola, cello and flute, might be different from some of Douglas’ other work, which won him the Scots Trad Music Awards Composer of the Year title in 2008, but the actual notes are yet another example of his ability to capture places and people with soulful feeling.

There are also tunes here that will surely be picked up by other performers, including the waltz for the man responsible for most of the chapel’s interior decoration, the lovely Lamb Holm Addio and both the march played by the City of Kirkwall Pipe Band and the solo pipe tune that closes the piece.

That Douglas is affected by the prisoners’ personal stories as much as their efforts is clear but equally impressive is his command of material, including a choral hymn, in bringing it all together with a unity of purpose in a handsome package designed by his wife, Marion.

Rob Adams